Walk a Little Straighter
by Techbilt
Summary: Megatron wasn't programmed to be the mech he would become. Every one has a history that molds them into what they are today, good and bad. WARNINGS: Child neglect, non-violent child abuse, and child abandonment.


Walk a Little Straighter

He tried to forget, many times. He didn't have the best sparkling-hood, and he was sure it hadn't been the worst either. Tarn hadn't been the best place to grow up, the whole city was poor. The small government had barely enough credits to fund their city hall; corrupt nobles and council-mechs had been to blame. That's what his Sire had always said.

He grew up with out knowing the love and adoration of a Carrier; his Carrier had off-lined soon after he was separated from his spark. He often grew jealous of the other creations that had their Carriers. They would pick them up after school, snuggle close with them, tell them they loved their little miracles. He never knew what that as like.

His Sire was often never home, either at his 'dead-end' job or at the bar. Most of the time if he wasn't at one he was at the other. The little gray sparkling with the same red highlights as his Carrier- or so he had been told, felt he never really had a home.

Most of the time he would sit in his room starring out the window, watching poor but happy families walk with their sparklings. The sparklings getting hugs, kisses, praise; he longed for that kind of attention. He never got it, he knew not to get his hopes up.

At school he traveled alone, no Creator to see him off, no 'have a good day', no 'I'll see you after school.' He was quiet in class, the teachers never saw his dents, never saw his Creator. The sparkling never really made friends, he didn't know how. The sparklings that tried to befriend him quickly stopped when he answered them with a 'back off.'

The instructors worried about him, fearing maybe he was illiterate, couldn't talk, or behind developmentally. They all passed him, pass the problem on to another instructor, maybe they'll be able to get through to him.

The sparkling through out his time in the school in Tarn, watched and observed. Still wanting a Carrier and Sire much like what the other sparklings had. He never understood what the difference was between his family and theirs. He had a Sire, he had a Carrier, though they were offline. They had no more credits than his Sire did, and yet his Sire never gave him a pat on the head nor lobbed with him.

So why didn't his Sire love him?

Vorns passed the once Sparkling had grown. His frame upgraded. His Sire and Tarn long behind him in his past. The mines were looking for small workers, the larger miners not being able to get into the small tunnels.

The mines were no different than being with his Sire. He was ignored for the most part, until him and the other younglings were needed to help get crystals out of the mines.

The job was demanding, many younglings died in front of the squadron of other mining younglings. At first it bothered him. Would he die too? There were some cycles he wished Primus would show some mercy and just offline him.

He lost valuable recharge over weather or not to run away many nights. The adult miners were just as loving as the Sire that had sold him to this place.

The caves were dark and humid, the youngling could feel the rust settling. It had been a common problem among the youngling squadron, their armor not as protected as their adult counter parts. The youngling never figured out what happened to the other younglings that reached their adult frames. He never asked. He had basic language skills, more than what the other younglings in his group had but not the skills needed for a real job.

For most of his youngling and mechling hood he stayed on the miners base. He had heard the company was moving to Kaon. It never mattered, the scenery would stay the same for him. He never left, none of the miners did. Those that tried disappeared. He never had a reason to leave the base, and the miners masters wanted to keep it that way.

Now a mechling he was too big for the youngling channels, now he was working side by side with the adult mechs. Many of the Miner Masters commented on the his size. He was already larger than some adults. Many said he would make a great worrier. But at this time, the Golden Age, there was no need for soldiers. This was the age of scholars, scientists, and politicians.

As a miner politics had been of no concern of his. He would always stay at the bottom no matter what the rules were. Then came the day that the miners complained about being stuck in that caste. The law hadn't passed, they were still voting on it. Though every miner in the D-16 mine knew that it was only a matter of time before the corrupt bureaucrats of the Primes council voted for the caste system. Leaving them on top, and any viable competition where they began, at the bottom.

The miners had caused an uproar, so much so they had caught the attention of the Bureaucrats in Iacon. He had been on the verge of his Adult upgrade, his armor finally hardening fully. He had been working in the D-16 mine like he had since he became too big to work on the smaller youngling tunnels.

It had been just after the miners mid-cycle fuel break. Drones had brought their energon, allowed the miners to fuel and return to work. The drones had almost made it to the entrance, an explosion had gone off. The unprocessed energon crystals, in the rawest form, exploded with the bomb. All of Tarn and Kaon could feel the explosion. The entrance caved, locking the others inside, him included.

He had woken in the dark, the only light coming from his own optics. He saw rubble from the fallen cave ceiling, many of the miners were dead, or were going to be soon. The stalagmites had pierced their armor, sparks flying from exposed and frayed wiring. He stared death was a common occurrence in the mines.

He tried to move any part of his body, wondering why he was left a live. Every one else had been off-lined, there was no saving those mechs from what befallen them.

From the tragedy that had befallen the other in the mine, the mech had taken the name D-16. To remember every miner that had lost their spark that cycle in the cave in.

The scene had haunted the miner for cycles, It was hard for the mech to continue working in the mines for fear of a cave in. The scene haunted the fluxes in his recharge cycle.

Eventually the miner had gotten over the fear of the cave in. The life of a miner had become lonesome, the silver mech had seen many of his fellow miners grow apart, and elderly. Often a miner did not retire, they could not, the credits they earned were merely enough for a cube a cycle.

The days became harder as the energon vines began to dry. The employers only paid when there was energon flowing through their machines. The miners often came back to their barracks tired, sore, and hungry.

It was then that D-16 began to notice the flaws in the way the council ran their planet. They had all been promised jobs, with the new system. They had said that no mech would be with out a job, their frame would dictate which career they would be best suited for.

But that had only worked for so long, They had only done it with the first few classes before they had realized there was an issue. There were too many bots classified for several different jobs. Too many classified as data clerks, as medics, as care givers. Then they had to go about another way of choosing who had got the jobs; political allegiance.

Those that didn't support the council were given the jobs first, those that didn't were caste to the bottom; miners, gladiators. They hadn't figured it out until after most of Cybertron had been placed into castes and were already brainwashed by the corrupt.

D-16 had waited for the council to better fit him with a job, he had gotten one as a gladiator. His heavy armor and efficient power usage made him easily adaptable to mods such as weaponry and shielding.

With little training D-16, could fight with the best of them. Among the pits the bets that were laid down D-16 was rookie of the stellar-cycle.

The pits had been no different than the mines. The gladiators quarters were small, but offered a place to recharge. The work days had been better than in the mines, he wasn't stuck under ground, or have a fear of a cave in.

A few solar cycles had passed before any kind of luck had happened to the gladiator. He had gained allies, through his cycles of fighting, a mech designated Soundwave, a native of Kaon was one of them

Soundwave had been a data clerk assigned mech, but because he didn't appreciate all of the things that council had put into place he was knocked down to lowest caste on the planet. There had been too many data clerks and not enough positions, so the training Soundwave had gotten was for not.

D-16 had made it to the top, along the way gaining a new designation: Megatronus. He was a ruthless fighter. Spoke amongst the other gladiators, saying they deserved just as much as the very council members who condemned them to this very hell hole.

Every time he had won a battle he would stand victorious over the offlined frames of his opponents, yell above the noise of the crowd on equality. They were all creations of Primus, of the same status. Castes and the total hold the council had over Cybertron needed to stop.

He had asked Soundwave to place his speech and thoughts about how the council really was taking control of Cybertron and how it was hurting rather than helping. Soundwave had obliged, encrypting it.

A young data clerk from Iacon had been the only one to decode the message. Megatronus had been surprised to see any one out side of his caste interested in confronting the council on this matter.

_Greetings Megatronus,_

_I am an Archivist from Iacon. You have opened my optics to what has really been going on through out the golden age. I would like to collaborate with you on how to change the current state of affairs with the corrupted Council of Sentinel Prime._

_Sincerely,_

_Archivist from Iacon_

That was how it had started, a letter with out the senders name, Megatronus had been intrigued. They had continued to respond to one another, mostly talking about the corrupt council. Until the silver mech found out the other mechs name.

Orion Pax, that's when they had started drifting from the topic of changing Cybertron for the better to asking each other about the others day, what they were doing, what they were planning for tomorrow.

Eventually the data clerk traveled to Kaon, at the request of Megatronus. Finally wanting to meet in person, both becoming worried that their online dialogs were being watched by Archivists more skilled than Orion were catching on with the increased data sent to his personal accounts.

Megatronus would be there to escort the Archivist through the dark streets of Kaon. This was not the city to get lost in, the gladiator had attempted to make it there on time. He had been caught up talking to one of the mechs in charge of the pits, he had been late.

Then Megatronus had finally gotten to where he said he would meet the clerk. Once he had taken a quick glance around the platform, he hadn't seen a mech with the description that Orion had given him. The gladiator began calling for the librarian, asking others if they had seen the mech wonder off with any one and in what direction.

He had seen many mechs, all that worked at the platform. "Have you seen this mech?"

The worker looked the picture up and down, "Yeah, I think so. Cute little Iaconian frame, he looked like he was looking for some one and walked off in that direction." The mech had pointed in the opposite direction that Megatronus had come from.

Only an Iaconian would wonder off in the exact opposite direction that he should have gone. "Thanks."

With that the silver mech had walked off in search of the data clerk. Scrambling through the city in search of his friend. Eventually in the sea of blandly colored Kaonite mechs and femmes, a bright blue and red paint job stood out. The mech looked bewildered, looking around – for him no doubt.

Megatronus approached the blue and red mech hoping not to be too threatening. "Orion?" started Megatronus, "Orion Pax?"

Orion turned at the sound of his name, looking straight at the heavily armored silver mech, blue optics bright with articulate design. Megatronus had smiled to the smaller red and blue mech. "I am Megatronus. Pleasure to finally meet you in person."

This was the first time he had met the archivist, his frame alone sent sizzles of electricity to his very core.

"The pleasure is all mine," smiled the archivist.

Megatronus was speechless at how beautiful the younger, smaller mech was. "Yes, my apartment is on the other side of town."

Orion nodded, looking embarrassed. "Oh."

Megatronus smiled to the young mech, gently leading him through the large dark city of Kaon.

The two eventually made it to his apartment. His winnings earned him just enough to rent a small apartment, and allow him to buy high-grade and regular grade to celebrate his winnings. Megatronus opened the door to his home allowing the data clerk to go in first. Megatronus smiled as Orion stepped in scanning his new surroundings.

"It's probably not what you expected is it?" asked Megatronus.

The clerk turned around to face the gladiator, "it is definitely different than what I am used to." Then a realization dawned on the small clerk, his optics showed the slight panic, "not that that is bad or anything – it is very nice!"

Megatronus chuckled, "you have not insulted me Orion. It's fine." Megatronus smiled to the smaller clerk, the silver mech doubted that Orion could say anything that would insult him. The gladiator had figured from their chats online that the small mech was cute in both personality and frame; this meeting had confirmed the suspicions. "How was your trip? I would like to apologize, I got caught up in something earlier."

"My trip?" asked Orion. Megatronus looked to the clerk and nodded. "oh, uh, good I guess. Uneventful."

Megatronus nodded, "That's good."

Orion nodded as his only response.

"Come this way," stated Megatronus holding out his servo, "I will show you around."

Megatronus watched as the librarian nodded, smiling the gladiator lead the clerk through the apartment. He had shown the mech where to find the wash racks, where the clerk would be recharging during his stay and where to find him in case he needed any thing.

"I believe that is it," smiled Megatronus. "You must be tired from your journey from Iacon."

Orion smiled, "I am fine. I am not tired yet."

Megatronus looked the librarian up and down, looking for any sign of fatigue. He hadn't found any but he didn't know the mech well enough to tell if he was tired or not.

Orion smiled, "we came to talk about the state of Cybertron. Might as well start tonight."

Megatronus nodded, the next cycle Orion would witness his first gladiatorial death match. Megatronus hoped that it would further convince the high-caste clerk that not everything was sugar-coated. The life of a miner or gladiator was a horrid life. The gladiator wasn't sure the librarian really understood that, after all he was willing to travel here; to Kaon.

Megatronus lead the two back to the living area, Orion sitting on the small couch as Megatronus sat next to him. The gladiator went on, describing the desperation of the caste he was a part of. How though the council had promised them prosperity they received was poverty. Orion had provided feed back when the gladiator had questions about the higher castes.

Eventually the gladiator felt a weight on his arm, he had stopped talking to look, and smiled. The cute little clerk had fallen into recharge. Megatronus carefully slid his hand behind the clerks back plates, the other under his knee joints. Slowly lifting the slumbering mech and slowly carrying him to the guest room.

Once the clerk had been placed on the berth, Megatronus took one last cube and headed to recharge himself. Tomorrow would be a new cycle, one to look forward to with his new friend.

The recharge cycle had ended too fast in Megatronus' personal opinion, but then again it always came too fast. Megatronus slowly got out of berth and walked slowly to the energon dispenser in the corner of the apartment.

He had been surprised to find Orion Pax already sitting at the table reading quietly, sipping at the energon sitting on the table. The clerk looked to him, as he lazily walked over getting his own energon.

"How was your recharge cycle?" asked Megatronus sitting across from the table.

"It was pleasant," smiled the librarian. "How was yours?"

"Good, How long have you been up?" asked the gladiator curious.

"Not long," smiled Orion going back to his story continuing to savor the life giving liquid.

Megatronus nodded, "is there anything you would like to see today? We have some time before I must be at the Pits."

"I do not know if there is anything I would like to do," shrugged the librarian. "I have never really been to Kaon before. Is there any place significant that would be worth going to in Kaon?"

Megatronus looked to the smiling librarian, "I – uh, guess I can show you around this part of town, it would be something to do – if you want to."

Orion Pax stood carefully, smiling, "Sure, I would not mind."

Megatronus smiled finishing his morning fuel as did Orion. As soon as they were ready they left to see the wonderful city of Kaon.

The whole time through the city of Kaon, the bright colored librarian stayed close to the large silver mech. Megatronus smiled as he showed the clerk around the city. The entrance to the pits, its spiked architecture was one of a kind among Cybertron, no other building was like it. This was the home of the pits. Megatronus then lead the librarian past the slums, mechs with no home. They lived under awnings, with their bonded and sparklings. Most had very little but made the most of what they had, they took what they could to support their family. Megatronus looked back to the librarians face, worry and depression displayed over his visage. Many of the mechs and sparklings waved to the gladiator.

"I keep some credits and buy them all energon, when ever I can," stated Megatronus. "Many of these mechs know me by name."

Three younglings ran up crowding Megatronus hugging him at his knee joints. "Mega! Mega!" shouted the three sparklings.

Megatronus smiled kneeling down to the three sparklings, "Hello Spectro, Spyglass, Viewfinder. How are you?"

"Good! Who's tha?" asked the sparklings curious.

"This is my friend Orion Pax, He's from Iacon." smiled Megatronus as the sparklings looked to Orion trying to decide if he was safe to talk to.

"Hi," stated Viewfinder.

Orion waved back to the sparkling unsure what to do, Megatronus looked to the three younglings, "You should probably head back to your Carrier."

All three nodded running off, calling their Carrier.

"They are cute," stated Orion.

Megatronus nodded, "only for the first few mega-cycles."

Orion chuckled, and Megatronus lead him through more of Kaon. Some spots displaying a little wealth, where the council mechs for Kaon stayed, and places that held the poor.

Megatronus stopped the tour just in time for his match at the pits. He had enough time to get Orion to the prime viewing area for the gladiators family and friends. The spot reserved for Megatronus had always been empty. Orion would be the only mech in the area. He would be safe, the silver mech hoped.

After he had set the librarian in the spot reserved for him, Megatronus went to his locker room, polishing his fusion cannon and sword. Making sure every bit of armor and weaponry was clean, and polished.

Eventually the match started, Megatronus getting cheers from the stands, as he exited the ready room, ready to fight for his life against his opponent.

Megatronus stole a quick glance into the stands looking for the familiar red and blue frame. Making sure that the mech was safe before his attention would have to stray from the clerk and focus on survival.

The match was soon to begin, the crowd silenced as his opponent entered. Megatronus drew his sword, not waiting for his opponent the first move he acted. His sword swung close to the mechs chest plate. The enemy had enough training to know when to block and dodge.

Punches, shots, weapons were thrown and dodged. But eventually the victor was Megatronus. His frame was covered in scratches and burns. Unbecoming of someone in a caste such as Orion's. But the Gladiator doubted that Orion cared that he was covered in energon, scratches, and mud.

When the gladiator was sure that his opponent was down for the count, he looked to the librarian, smiling when he found the clerk. Orion looked worried, but otherwise seemed fine. Megatronus walked over to Orion, "Stay here. I will come get you when I finish collecting my winnings."

Orion only nodded before Megatronus turned around and headed to collect his winnings before grabbing the clerk and heading to the apartment.

With the credits earned and in his account, the silver mech went to collect his friend from the stands. Megatronus quickly found the librarian where he left him looking around the stands and the arena, probably looking for him.

"Clerk," smiled Megatronus.

Orion jumped and looked to the gladiator, smiling to him. "Hi."

Megatronus smirked at the clerks reaction. "Are you ready to head back to the apartment?"

Orion nodded getting up and staying close to the larger silver gladiator. The walk back was mostly uneventful, something both parties were thankful for.

Once inside the gladiators apartment Megatronus watched as Orion slowly walked through the apartment. Likely still taking in the sights of the fight that had taken place with in the Colosseum.

Megatronus walked to the kitchenette and grabbed a cube of high grade, "Here, Pax." the gladiator was gentle with his words hoping not to set the archivist over the edge with his harsh vocolizer.

The archivist had grabbed the cube and Megatronus watched concerned. Orion had taken it in both hands to hold the cube steady, slowly sipping the energon. The gladiator watched the clerks optics go wide with surprise as he quickly shoved the cube from his mouth.

"W-what is this?" asked Orion. His voice covered with concern.

While it was true that Kaonite high grade was a drink that required a certain taste. It was strong, something a light weight wouldn't be able to handle.

"High grade?" answered Megatronus confused, it should have tasted like high grade. "Do you not like it?"

"It is not that I do not like it is just strong," stated Orion.

"If you do not like it we can go to the store and get some Iaconian High grade for you."

Orion shook his helm, "No this is fine." The smile was pure though the gladiator could tell Orion didn't like the high grade of Kaon. He would have to remember that the next time Orion came to Kaon. Get a few cases of Iaconian High grade.

Eventually it was time for the librarian to travel back to Iacon. Megatronus had walked the clerk to the correct station to safely get him to Iacon.

It would be some time before the gladiator and librarian would meet up again. Megatronus had lived boringly, nothing exciting happening except for the few emails the two shared over the data net. Then Orion had invited the gladiator to Iacon. To see the sights, try the high-grade.

From his apartment in Kaon, Megatronus smiled, mulling over the idea in his processor. Would it be a good idea? Iacon was the center of what he had seen as the poison killing Cybertron. Would he really be able to go to Iacon, and see the liars at work?

Megatronus found it hard to refuse the librarians invitation, soon the gladiator had found himself waiting for Orion in the Iacon terminal. Megatronus had noticed the large girth that the citizens of Iacon were giving him. It was true that he was intimidating, he was a fearsome gladiator in the Pits of Kaon. Of course they would give him space, even mechs in Kaon did.

Megatronus stayed where he was looking through the crowd of Iaconians for the one paint job that seemed familiar enough to call Orion Pax. The paint jobs between the two cities differed drastically; Kaon was chrome and silver, natural colors that wouldn't cost too much to repair when damaged. If the damage was fixed at all. Iacon was a sea of bright, bold colors, whites, blues, and reds. Every color reminded the mighty Gladiator of his smaller librarian friend.

Iacon was buzzing with activity the business mechs, and mechs on a mission heading to their desired location. Mechlings and femmelings talking to one another 'hanging out' and newly adult-graded mechs and femmes goofing off. It was a sight unheard of in Kaon, no one left after the work cycle they rested for another grueling day, energon rations were too important especially to those with sparklings to take care of.

Megatronus had finally found the librarian, Orion waving to the massive frame towering the crowd.

"Megatronus!" smiled the red and blue bot, "how was your journey?"

Megatronus shrugged, "it was fine."

Orion seemed to smile brighter, "that is good, I hope you had no troubles in Iacon while you waited."

Megatronus shook his helm, "no, no troubles."

"We should head to my place and get your stuff all settled, then I can show you around," Orion stated. Megatronus nodded following the librarian as he turned and started walking.

The short walk to the librarians apartment was interesting, from Megatronus' point of view. He had never seen such shiny buildings, or families actually walking the paths with rust sticks and energon candies for their young ones.

Iacon was the life he had learned about when he was a sparkling. The life his Sire and Carrier could have had if he had never had been sparked.

Orion smiled continuing to chat endlessly about his week asking Megatronus questions about his own as well. The clerk seemed ecstatic that his friend had come for a visit.

"Do you get many visitors?" asked Megatronus.

"Not recently. My other friend has found himself quite busy these orns," stated Orion with a tone of gloom in his voice.

"You only have two friends?" asked Megatronus concerned.

"No-well... yes?-no... I don't know," stated a flustered Orion. So maybe the clerk wasn't as good with words as the gladiator had thought.

Megatronus smiled, the clerk was cute all flustered like.

Orion looked away from the silver gladiator as they finally made it to the librarians apartment, "uh, here it is. I don't have a guest room, hopefully the couch will work for you."

Megatronus nodded, "It is fine, thank you."

Orion smiled to his guest, "If you need anything my chamber is just behind the couch."

Megatronus nodded. "I think this will be enough."

"What would you like to see first?" asked Orion, excitement in his voice to show his friend around his home city.

Megatronus thought his processor whirling trying to think of an answer. He had never been out side of Tarn or Kaon. This was all new territory, at least to him. "I wouldn't mind seeing the Hall of Records," stated Megatronus.

Orion smiled, "Its closed right now. But I don't see why you can't get the private tour."

Megatronus could have sworn he had seen a devilish smirk on the librarians face plates as he grabbed a fob and spun it around his digit. The gladiator smiled, it was nice to see the innocent librarian had a little bit of a trouble streak.

The gladiator really didn't want to admit it, but the clerk had activated systems that hadn't been active since his early mechlinghood. And that smirk the librarian had just made was the rust stick to top it all off.


End file.
